Many years ago, when I was translating professionally (mostly philosophy), I realized there are many ways to approach rendering text in a different language. From my perspective, there are three basic approaches: mechanical (computer), translation, and interpretive.
The first is now most often done by running the text through a computer program. The results of such mechanical translations have improved significantly since I first used one in the late '60s. In many cases, an automatic rendering is good enough to get the author's (general) intent across. That is particularly true for factual text, such as technical writing.
The second approach, translation, is most often done by humans, sometimes with assistance from mechanical translation programs. This style of rendering (commonly referred to as "word for word" or "literal" translation) tends to be reasonably close to the original language text in terms of the words used. Sometimes when rendering poetry, there is a similarity of rhythm and rhyme. However, there is often a good correspondence between the author's intent and that expressed by the translator since a good translator will attempt to use words that express the translator's understanding of the author's intention. That is, there is some interpretive work done.
The third approach, interpretive, provides a result that is furthest from the version supplied by mechanical translation. In this style, the interpreter attempts to understand the author's intent and to give that understanding in an original form. Here the interpreter's intuition comes into play. Two writers working in this approach will often result in very different versions. On the other hand, if the interpreters have a good grasp of the original author's style and usage as well as a sense of poetry, a genuinely poetic and, in a certain sense, a unique piece will result.
My approach is, generally speaking, a mixture of translation and interpretation.
The following is a poem, Im Gewitter der Rosen ( English: In the Storm of Roses ) by Ingeborg Bachmann ( 1926 - 1973 ), written in 1953. Here I present the original for those conversant with German, followed by a machine translation, a human translation, and an interpretation. A comparison of the first two (English) versions shows the two are very similar. However, in my opinion, in the second, the selection of words is much better. For instance, "storm" for "thunderstorm," at least to my ear, taking into account that poetry is an aural art, is much better. The same is true for the substitution of "leaves" for "foliage." The third version is an interpretation and bears little resemblance to the machine translation.
In my opinion, it comes down to a matter of taste on the part of the reader.
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German ( original text ):
Wohin wir uns wenden im Gewitter der Rosen,
ist die Nacht von Dornen erhellt, und der Donner
des Laubs, das so leise war in den Büschen,
folgt uns jetzt auf dem Fuß.
Machine translation ( Google Translate ):
Wherever we turn in the thunderstorm of the roses,
the night is lit by thorns, and the thunder
of the foliage that was so quiet in the bushes,
follow us now on the foot.
Translation: ( © Mark M. Anderson):
Wherever we turn in the storm of roses,
the night is lit up by thorns, and the thunder
of leaves, once so quiet within the bushes,
rumbling at our heels.
Interpretation: ( my own )
In the storm of roses,
no matter where we turn,
night illumined by thorns,
the thunder of leaves,
once a rustle in the bushes,
now hard at our heels.
beto